A24 is back at it again with Lamb.
The ominous trailer for Lamb, which tells the story of a childless couple named María and Ingvar living in Iceland, opens with a tearful María (Noomi Rapace) kneeling in a cemetery in prayer. We are quickly whisked away to a scene where the two make a stunning discovery after an ewe on their barn gives birth to what appears to be a half-lamb, half-human baby.
María and Ingvar begin to embrace and care for their unique child, even when his brother Pétur expresses skepticism towards this unlikely new family dynamic. The overly used trailer song, “God Only Knows,” by the Beach Boys, attempts to strike a light-hearted tone halfway through, but it becomes clear in subsequent scenes that dark moments lie ahead.
A24’s backing of the film requires a certain level of suspension of disbelief from audiences, given the company’s track record. If you have seen and enjoyed films, like The Lobster, Midsommar, or Swiss Army Man, then you know more often than not, A24 is willing to take a shot on an indie project that is rooted entirely in fantastical elements, and it’s up to the audiences to be up for the ride.
Lamb is the directorial debut for Valdimar Jóhannsson, and stars Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, and Ingvar Sigurðsson. Lamb unsurprisingly won the Prize of Originality at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Lamb is scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 8.
